Fight or Flight [Rooster x OC]

Chapter 6

A/N: Work got really busy, my bad!

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Bradley had forgotten how chaotic a dinner at the Kazansky house could become. One might assume that a dinner with one of the highest-ranking officers in the Navy would be formal and calm, but the assumer would be wrong. Kazansky mealtimes were always energetic and oddly unpredictable. Maybe if Tom had his way, they would be more regimented but having three active kids that had grown into equally active adults with two of those having their own kids had ruined that.

"Thanks, but I can't eat anymore," Bradley said over the laughter and chatter, holding up his hands in defeat as Miss Sarah tried to hand him a second helping of a cake the grandkids had helped her make. It was confetti cake with more sprinkles than icing. "I'm stuffed."

While delicious, he wasn't sure his arteries could take more sugar after his first slice.

"Aw, c'mon, Bradley, who doesn't want more cavities?" teased T.J. "And the kids worked hard on it."

"I already had a piece," Bradley said, rolling his eyes at his former partner-in-crime.

He and T.J. were only a year apart in age, and they had gotten into so much trouble when they were younger that he was sure there was an unofficial Naval file on their younger selves somewhere. T.J. still liked to give him shit sometimes, especially now that he was the "mature one" with a family.

"You don't want the cake?" Sassy asked. She had migrated from the kids table to the regular table and claimed half of her cousin Nora's seat. "I made it real good. I used all the icing and every sprinkle."

"You can't say no to that," Miss Sarah said. She placed the slice of cake in front of Bradley. A clump of sprinkly icing fell off onto the plate.

"You're going to make him explode, he'll eat it out of obligation," Kate said. Reaching over, she picked up the plate, leaned across the table, and put it in front of her brother. "He's already had two hamburgers and a hotdog. Plus the cake. Because he's a monster."

"Hey..." Bradley glanced down at Kate, who grinned up at him. He loved the mischief in her eyes.

"It was a small piece," Miss Sarah said with a warm smile.

"I'm super grateful, Miss Sarah, but Kate's right. I think I reached my limit."

"So the human vacuum has a limit, good to know," T.J. said, grinning. He dug a fork into the piece of cake. "Do you remember that time when you ate ten popsicles in like five minutes?"

"You dared me to eat every flavor," Bradley said, smirking back, "I've never had such bad brain freeze."

It had been a somewhat miserable experience, and he hadn't made it through all of them. Good thing too. He was half-sure he would've exploded from popsicle intake.

"He didn't even say you had to eat them all at once," Kate said, making a face. "Or how fast."

"I can't help it, I'm competitive."

"I don't know where you all got your popsicles, we only had about six flavors where I'm from," Dot's husband said with a laugh. He was a nice guy and flexible enough to deal with Dot's take-charge-every-time personality. She was formidable and tough and she did like having things her way. Always had.

Bradley looked over at Miss Sarah. "Can I help clean up or anything?"

"No, that's why we have grandchildren," she said, glancing over at the older ones, who began to sink down in their seats.

At the end of the table, Tom nodded toward his wife, agreeing. He seemed tired but content.

Around the table, people began to get up, reaching for empty plates, condiment containers, and platters. Miss Sarah put her hand on Bradley's arm as she passed by him. "Early morning tomorrow, right?"